Nuffnang

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

This is a guest post co-written by Nerissa Barry and Daniel Fielding. Any comments and queries can fielded to Nerissa via nerdbarry@gmail.com

The United States Olympic Committee USOC is not only looking to further the athletic accomplishments but also making sustainable environmental changes to the Winter Games. And with the bid for the 2022 games being awarded in 2015, they must be able to move fast with their efforts. The quest has already started in naming Andrew Liveris and Dow Chemical as the worldwide partner in the Olympics for the next decade.

During the last Winter Olympic Games (the Vancouver 2010 games), the United States garnered the most number of medals with 37, broken down into 9 gold, 15 silver and 13 bronze. Thanks to American dominance in snowboarding (i.e. Shaun White), Nordic combined (i.e Lindsey Vonn), speed skating (i.e. Shani Davis) and skiing, it only makes sense that the United States should host the 2022 Winter Games. With possible venues like Denver and Reno-Tahoe, the USOC is looking to prepare a bidding process with the International Olympic Committee in hopes of bring great changes to this world celebration.

After the controversy over what transpired in securing the Salt Lake City bid, USOC Chairman, Larry Probst hopes to rebuild relationships first with their international counterparts before releasing all information concerning the bid. What we do know is that there is a lot of talk about making the Games more environment-friendly, and with this, the United States could put themselves in high bid mentions with what they're looking to add to the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Why are these changes such a big deal? As fantastic and unifying as the Olympics are, it's quite a carbon-rich event. Over 2/3 of the estimated carbon emissions from the event come from some of the 1.5+ million attendees traveling (mostly via airplane) to and from the event.

While the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics made great efforts to showcase conservation practices and sustainable energy sources, USOC members and sponsors are looking to go the extra mile on becoming a greener Olympics with these proposed plans:

Solar power - Used to light lawns, courtyards and streets at several venues, including the Olympic Village. A 130 KW photovoltaic system illuminated The National Stadium, where events such as athletics and football were held.

Water Conservation - Waste water collected from the Qinghe sewage treatment plant was filtered and used for the various heating and cooling needs throughout the Olympics site, yielding a 60% savings in electricity. Rainwater was collected from around the grounds, collecting over 75,000 gallons by using water permeable bricks, pipes and wells installed on roofs, roads and green areas.

Natural Light - Remember the famous 'Water Cube' where the aquatic events were held? The walls of the National Aquatics Centre provided natural light, and for the interior of the building, specially designed 'beam-pipes' funneled sunlight into corridors, toilets and car parks at venues, including the Olympic Green.

Recycling - The 2008 Olympic hosts aimed for a 50 per cent recycling of waste including paper, metals and plastics at venues. A modest expectation, considering that a test run carried out during the 11th World Softball Championships held in 2007, achieved a nearly 90 per cent recycling rate.

The IOC saw the opportunity to promote sustainability in the Olympics in 2008, helping provide the filtration and insulation for the events. That vision has progressed to include dozens of other products which will help reduce waste and promote conservation. You can expect these products to appear at the coming events over the next decade and be a part of the USOC recommendations.

Monday, December 27, 2010

This is going to be the final Monday of 2010. The countdown has begun to the beginning of a new year. A new decade even. Everyone is looking forward to it. The new year brings new hope and a brighter future. Although for some, they want to get away from 2010 as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, due to the stroke of luck that Christmas fell on a Saturday this year, our office decided to have no work on Friday (a.k.a. Christmas Eve). Considering that last year was the first time that I had to work on Christmas, it is something I am reluctant to do and it was very satisfying to be spending the holidays with family.

The better news is that I also get New Year's Eve off, so I am also going to spend the arrival of 2011 with my family instead of being holed up in a cubicle.

Monday, December 20, 2010

Christmas is just a few days away. It's this Saturday already and we can already feel the moment is just upon us. The midnight masses have already commenced. The traffic has been horrendous with all the sales that have popped up. After all, it was payday weekend and the bonuses have already arrived onto the payroll.

Over the weekend, I decided to give back and do a charitable venture. It is important that we remember the true meaning and spirit of the holiday season. It's not just about the ancillary parts. The truth about the holiday is that someone was born that was of importance and value. That individual would also remind us of a particular passage entitled Matthew 25:40.

Monday, December 13, 2010

It's only 12 more days until it is Christmas and some can already feel it in the air, with Christmas parties, decors galore and the tunes that become Last Song Syndromes.

Meanwhile, the economy's hard times have spread everywhere. It seems unthinkable, but maybe it is time for the four major pro sports to think about advertising as a proverbial option for revenue. Look at futbol / soccer. They have been doing this for a long time and it brings in big revenue. Even a team like FC Barcelona (who hasn't received payment for jersey sponsorship ever until the start of next season) eventually had to capitulate and accept the harsh reality. (Considering that UEFA just tightened qualification rules for Euro football.)

At the same, I find it interesting that the Qatar Foundation (who will be joining UNICEF on the FC Barca shirt) just swooped in with a deal. After all, the Qataris have money to burn and a sneaky and smart plan that could be very beneficial. This might be something to work on for Qatar since they have 12 years to define a generation of football players.

As such, teams that are in such dire need of cash, like the NBA-owned Hornets, might want to look into this. The WNBA already has companies like Microsoft, Farmers Insurance and Foxwoods for shirt deals.

Speaking of football, the Motherland's National Team just had their send off party earlier today. They have made the semifinals and they will face Indonesia in a supposed to be a "home-and-home," but apparently we do not have the facilities to support a FIFA event. For more details, read this recapper of the state of Philippine football.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

The success of the Azkals in the AFF Suzuki Cup has been a total shock and surprise to everyone. Even for the coaching staff and players. Now, with recent developments, we will be forced to have a "home" game elsewhere. I hope that the team is not discouraged with this chain of events but focus on the task at hand, which is to play against Indonesia in the semifinals. (Home-and-home is scheduled at December 16 & 19).

Given that, I was thinking about how we can get more facilities that can feasibly support a football stadium there. Here are 11 probable options we could go take a look-see.

1. Bacolod. They have the closest thing to a football stadium (Panaad) that can host such an event. Come to think of it, it already hosted the futbol matches when we hosted the SEA Games. That stadium would have been the likely place to have the home match, but the AFF said no. They have someone in politics who is a definite and genuine sports supporter / benefactor in Rep. Monico Puentevella. They also arguably have the most ardent fans of the sport in the country.

2. Iloilo. Similar to Bacolod, but my friend did tell me about the passion of the Ilonggos regarding futbol.

3. Tubod, Lanao del Norte. There is already a facility in place (the one they used for the Palarong Pambansa).

4 & 5. General Santos City, South Cotabato and Alabel, Sarangani. Quick, someone get Rep. Emmanuel Pacquiao on the phone.

6. & 7. Clark, Pampanga & Olongapo City. Hoping that the Lotto Winner (outlet where winning ticket was sold came from the area) would be kind and benevolent enough to bankroll building one.

8. Laguna. Trace College has a quality aquatic facility, so why not have a football facility. Someone suggested having it placed near Brent in Mamplasan.

9. & 10. City of Manila & Pasig City. Manila is home to the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex & Pasig is home to the Philsports Complex. Those two facilities need a major upgrade fast. Plus, it is very accessible to almost everyone.

11. Pasay City. The SM Group has long been planning to build a coliseum facility in the turf near the SM Mall of Asia. Why not go one step further and build a mega-facility instead ala LA Live. It would definitely benefit the university they own (NU).

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

This is the first Monday of December and I can smell the sweetness of the Holiday season. With the Holiday season comes the shopping experience. Once the days come closer and closer to Christmas, the madness draws more and more.

My mom really needed a technological upgrade, since she has been missing out on being a part of the pictures. So I took her to a nearby sale to help her in purchasing a brand new point and shoot camera. Afterward, I managed to help her with a brand new laptop for work usage, although it looks like my younger sister will be taking advantage of it more. Nothing like taking advantage of a little family time together.

On a personal footnote: My alma mater seals their case as the best collegiate team in the Motherland. Nonito Donaire stakes his claim as a top P4P fighter. And yes, we pulled off a miracle.